The Story So Far: Clark
by ButImNotAWriter88
Summary: This story is a retelling of Superman's story in the DCEU. It is written in a POV narrative style from Clark's perspective. I made some major and minor changes to both the MoS and BvS storylines that you may or may not notice. This is part 1 of 3 of The Story So Far series. A more detailed summary is written before the first chapter if you are interested in reading this.
1. On My Planet It Means Hope

**Summary: This story is a retelling of Superman's story in the DCEU. It is written in a POV narrative style from Clark's perspective. I made some major and minor changes to both the MoS and BvS storylines that you may or may not notice. This is part 1 of 2 of The Story So Far series. Both parts will serve as a prologue for an eventual Justice League movie fanfic which will be written more like an ordinary story with more dialogue. Thanks for coming this far and I hope you enjoy. Reviews are very welcome.**

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 **The Story So Far: Clark**

Chapter 1: On My Planet It Means Hope

My parents taught me to make the world smaller. To focus on one thing till all I could hear or see was that thing. I got good at it. Learned to see what I needed and wanted to see. To hear what I wanted to hear. Those lessons helped me find my people. In the Arctic I discovered a ship that I believed belonged to them. I wish Ma and Pa could have seen it. It was huge and sort of looked like a seed of some sort. Nothing like the craft that brought me to Earth. Finally, I had found my people.

Ma would be excited too. The mystery of who sent me to Earth was finally solved for us. She was always scared of the government taking me away from her and Pa. I wish he was here now. He would have loved to be here, to know where I came from. I still regretted letting him die 7 years ago when I was 18. But I trusted him with my life. And in the ultimate show of his trust in me, he sacrificed himself, so I could remain a secret to the world. It turns your world upside down when one of the two people who loved you in the world dies and you could have saved them. All I could do now was make him proud and not let his sacrifice be in vain.

After 3 years of searching for my people, and saving people along the way, I'd finally found them. The Kryptonians. That's what I was. And my name is Kal-El. My father, Joe-El, uploaded himself into the codex, which was in the craft that I was sent in. He took the time to teach me Krypton's history and briefed me on its untimely demise. For the third or fourth time in my life I'd felt a true connection to someone. But it was just a hologram of Jor-El, a digital representation of his consciousness. After parking the ship deeper into the Arctic than any human would go, I left Jor-El telling him that I needed to make sure Ma was okay. He seemed sad at the realization that I wasn't talking about Lara, my mother and his wife, but my adoptive mother from Earth. He asked me to convey his thanks to her for raising and protecting me till I could find my way to him. Maybe he was more than just a hologram.

I returned home to see that Ma had a visitor. It smelled like they were from the city whoever they were. I expected the government to maybe find me after taking my ship out of the ice, but this was too soon. To my surprise it wasn't an agent or soldier at the house but a reporter. Apparently in my travels I attracted a tail. She had been following my exploits and was there when I activated the ship. I had even saved her from the ship's automated defense system. She must have been a real bloodhound to follow the trail this far.

The infamous Lois Lane never drops a story. She's a Pulitzer Prize winner with a knack for busting corrupt politicians and sleazy big businessmen. Why was she concerned with a kid from Kansas? I tried playing coy, but she had seen me. I had no way out of her journalistic clutches. She insisted that I tell her my story, so the world could know who I was and that I wasn't a threat. So, I took her to see Pa.

I explained how I didn't think I could trust the world not to come after me or Ma. How Pa believed in his heart that the time may never come for the world to be ready for me. He believed it so much that he died for it. My anger rose as I spoke toward her. She didn't really care about helping me and she could tell the story without my help. Tell the world about the alien in Kansas. But she said she wouldn't do that. She agreed to shelve my story until I thought the time was right and only then would she interview me to help me tell the world who I was. In truth I didn't really know who I was yet, and I was grateful that she made an exception for me by dropping the story for me. Maybe the world was readier than Pa thought.

A week later a signal came through the TV and a ship appeared in Earth's orbit. The talking head, General Zod, claimed to be Kryptonian just like me and ordered me to surrender within 24 hours or Earth would face the consequences. Jor-El told me that the Kryptonians all died on Krypton and I was the last. So where did these Kryptonians come from? And how did they find me? After making sure Ma was okay I traveled to where I parked the ship in the Arctic. Jor-El told me about Zod and his attempted coup in the last days of Krypton. Zod and his followers were imprisoned into a place called the phantom zone, but they must have escaped. He told me that I couldn't trust Zod and needed to move against him quickly. But if I couldn't trust my own people who could I trust? I agreed that Zod was bad news but maybe his followers would be willing to listen to me. There was also the fact that to go against Zod I would need help. I would have to reveal myself to the world. Maybe I could do both.

Before I left the ship Jor-El told me that I would be capable of doing great things on Earth not just because of my powers but because of who I was. He revealed a suit to me and explained that the shield on it was the House of El's family crest. The symbol stood for hope. The design looked like it was less like armor and more like a Halloween costume. Jor-El assured me that it could withstand almost anything including the Kryptonian weapons that Zod and his people were likely to use. It also could recede back into the shield and repair itself when damaged. The suit stretched perfectly over my body and felt like a second skin. Jor-El told me of another suit that was available, but it didn't have any color to it. And, more importantly, it had no cape. I'm not sure what made me love that long red cape, but I loved it and would not part with it. The blue and red with some gold in the shield and belt seemed like a better color scheme since I wanted to appear friendly.

Jor-El explained that I could lead humanity to a path of greater understanding. That my light would serve as a beacon and humanity would join me in the light. That was why he and my mother sent me to Earth. So, I could live and build a better world than Krypton. But first I had to save it from Zod. Jor-El said that my growth under the yellow sun had surpassed even his calculations and that the only way I would know how strong I could be was to keep pushing myself.


	2. On My Planet It Means Hope(cont'd)

I may have been a farm boy at heart, but I'd always wanted to fly. With only 12 hours to go I needed to get back to America quickly so I could start my plan to save Earth. The first step was finding Lois in Metropolis. Flying was easier than I thought. Ma and Pa's "training" had helped me yet again. I cleared my mind and focused on staying in the air. Before I knew it, I was flying like a bird or a plane. I flew faster and faster until I had created a sonic boom and sped towards Metropolis.

To my surprise Lois had been arrested for some odd reason. I guess someone found out that she knew about me. It didn't really matter now, and it made my plan simpler. My plan was to have Lois help me get in touch with whoever I needed to talk to so that I can announce my intentions. I also needed to warn them about Zod. Now I could do all of that in one place. The plan was going well so far and hopefully humanity would listen to my warning and prepare. Finding the facility where they were holding her was difficult, but they hadn't gone very far. A little military base not far from Metropolis. I revealed my self and they took me inside after I asked for Lois' freedom. They were scared but I only needed them to listen. Zod could not be trusted and they needed to prepare for a war. The officer in charge, General Swanwick, said they would prepare but that he had to hand me over to Zod. I complied since again that was the next step of my plan.

Surrendering to Zod to save Earth was a no brainer. I could at least speak to the man and try to reason with him. We could co-exist, it would only take a little diplomacy and maybe someone who knew how both sides felt. All of the elevated heartbeats behind me were thunderous but I focused on Lois'. Again, she was calm and ready to take on the world if we needed to. She hadn't told anyone anything about me like we agreed. She stood by me as I waited for Zod to come. I'm glad she couldn't hear my heartbeat, I was so nervous. Would Zod still be the anarchist Jor-El described him to be?

To my surprise Zod didn't even come. He sent his lieutenant Faora. She greeted me and claimed that Zod also wanted Lois to come and meet him, along with me, on his ship. Before I could answer Lois agreed. Now I was wishing she was just a little more scared. This wasn't the plan. I wanted to speak to Zod privately, so we could discuss his intentions and come to an agreement about Kryptonians on Earth. The powers him and his followers would have could easily overpower the military. As we arrived on his ship I handed Lois my codex. If things turned sour on the ship, then maybe Jor-El could help us contain Zod and his followers. And then right on cue, before I could even say anything important, I collapsed. Zod's ship was affecting me. I could barely breathe let alone speak. My body felt heavier and it took everything I had just to stand up straight which lasted about 30 seconds. Lois was trying to help me, but I lost consciousness before I could make out anything she or Zod was saying. Well there goes my well laid plans.

I awoke on the plains of Kansas curiously enough. Zod spoke to me and told me how he worked with Jor-El to try and save Krypton, but they could never agree on how to do it. He told me that the codex held the registry for all the citizens yet to be born on Krypton. He needed it so that Krypton could live again on Earth. But he didn't want to share the planet. He wanted to destroy humanity. Wipe them all out so he could build a new Krypton with their bones as its foundation. I couldn't be apart of this madness. I wouldn't. When I awoke again I was back on the ship. I couldn't break free of the restraints and Zod was standing over me with a look of pity on his face. Jor-El was right, I was a fool to think I could bargain with this madman. Now Earth would pay the price for my naivety. Zod left and the resident creepy doctor took a vial of my blood and started droning on about my inadequacies as a Kryptonian. Told me that my house was always to weak to do what needed to be done. But suddenly I felt a change in the air and my strength was returning.

Lois must have used the codex because not only was I getting stronger the creepy doctor was having trouble breathing. The atmospherics must have changed due to Jor-El, who suddenly appeared behind me. I asked him about the codex and the birthing matrix on the ship I found. He told me that with more time he would have taught me how to use it and maybe Krypton could live again on Earth, but not like how Zod had planned it. I punched through the hull and I saw an escape pod being jettisoned from the ship. Jor-El informed me that I could save humanity from Zod's wrath so that they could live on and be better than the Kryptonians of the past.

As I sped away from the ship I connected with Lois' pod and helped her land safely. She seemed panicked like she had never flown before. I guess falling with style doesn't really count as flying though. She started apologizing saying that she didn't want to tell them anything, but they looked at her memories. I made a grim realization that they had done the same to me. What were they looking for? I heard the engines of a Kryptonian ship wind down far away and my eyes shot open wider. My ship! I sped away from Lois as some policemen arrived and shot toward my home. I felt the wind almost tear open in front of me as I pushed myself to go faster. I wouldn't let any of them hurt Ma.

As quick as I took off I arrived at the house with Zod standing over Ma yelling at her. He'd picked the wrong planet to try to be a bully on. I collided with him while he was in mid-sentence and pummeled him into the nearby fields and silos. We didn't stop till we hit a gas station in the town and an explosion separated us. Zod's protective mask was destroyed. He was getting hit by every sound and smell within the town. I was happy to see his pained look. He shouldn't have touched Ma. Before I could return to pummeling him the Kryptonian ship he arrived in hit me with an energy blast and blew me down the street. His soldiers helped him into the ship and he was gone for now. I had much bigger problems to worry about and they were coming down the adjacent street.

Two Kryptonian soldiers that Zod came with were making their way towards me. I recognized Faora, but the other wasn't familiar. His name was not nearly as important as his lumbering size. I needed to draw the fight away from the civilians which wouldn't have been hard with all the open fields around the town. The military had other ideas. Three fighter jets attacked us with machine gun rounds that were as big as golf balls. I escaped the barrage but collided into a nearby shop. Faora dodged them as well but the big one had no such luck as he took a trip down the street. The rounds hadn't even dented the armor he was wearing. I saw him jumping into a jet, but the fighter pilot was able to eject before he impacted. Faora was about to do the same, but this fighter pilot didn't eject. He just kept firing at her and missing. I jumped and flew toward her and we collided before she killed the pilot. He must have no fear to do something so crazy and reckless. I'd have shaken his hand, but I was to busy getting my butt handed to me by Faora.


	3. On My Planet It Means Hope(cont'd again)

I had a handle on controlling my powers, but I'd never had to use them like this. She was a much more skilled fighter and I couldn't even land a punch. So, I changed tactics. I was always more of a brawler, but I learned a little wrestling in high school. I grabbed her and threw her into a nearby truck then followed up with another grab and throw into the nearby street. My fortunes changed as the big Kryptonian got ahold of me and kept me from following up. We started to engage each other as soldiers began shooting Faora. She slaughtered them mercilessly as I rumbled with the big one. Finally, I was able to get him off his feet and punch him into the trainyard. I found Faora facing down that same fighter pilot from earlier and saved him again. He must have had to eject from the damage Faora was able to inflict to his jet. I got to shake his hand and read his name tag. If I ever got into a fight in a dark alley with normal people I would want to bring Hal Jordan with me.

Faora's protective mask got destroyed in our collision and she promised to kill every human I'd every saved as she winced in pain. Before I could respond a large flying train was coming toward me and I decided to catch it with my face. Another spectacular decision by me. When I came to Faora and the big Kryptonian were gone and I was surrounded by the remaining military soldiers. They came to the concession that I wasn't their enemy and I left to check on Ma. The house got crushed by our truck, but Ma was okay as evidenced by her trying to collect our valuables and move them outside. Another person who simply couldn't conceptualize the word 'quit'. The prospect of bringing Krypton back lingered in my mind. I could bring Krypton back with the codex and the birthing matrix. I just had to stop Zod and his followers from destroying everything first.

Lois caught back up with me and told me about Jor-El's plan to send them all back to the phantom zone, a trans-dimensional prison created to store the worst of Krypton's criminals. All we would need to do was collide the craft that brought me to Earth to Zod's ship and their phantom drives would open the door to pull them through and imprison them all. With Lois' help I was able to convince General Swanwick that the plan would work, and he decided to help us by using a C17 to drop my ship onto Zod's ship like a bomb. Zod had already started trying to turn Earth into Krypton forcibly. The machine they were using was connected to Zod's ship, but a gravity field protected his ship and would keep us from putting them into the phantom zone. I would need to destroy the world engine to break the connection and make Zod's ship vulnerable to my craft again. If my encounter on his ship was any indication I would probably be weaker around the machine since it was making Earth more like Krypton. But I had to try, or all would be lost. Lois gave me the courage by telling me she believed in me and with everyone on the planet's life at risk I could not fail.

As I sped toward the world engine I noticed the change in pressure around the machine and stumbled my way through the dark clouds surrounding it. Stopping this thing would be harder than I thought. I needed to destroy this machine for Lois and the military, so they could complete the plan. I thought to remove its" legs" or maybe blast it with my heat vision. My time to plan was cut to zero as its defense systems engaged me. Three tendrils shot out at me and tried to grab me. Whatever they were made of was too strong for me to just break, especially with my condition worsening. As I fought and tried to get away from them I could fell myself moving slower and getting weaker until eventually I was caught within their grasp. The tendrils threw me into the gravity well being shot into the Earth by the world engine. The pressure forced me to my knees with no sign of letting up and only pushing me harder toward the ground.

It seemed hopeless, but I could feel my strength returning little by little. The atmospheric changes were no longer affecting me as much. I started to push myself upward. If I could go through the machine I could break the connection completely and make it safer on the other end for Lois and the military. It took everything I had. Reserves of strength that I just never needed to use before. With a loud yell I finally overcame the gravity well and shot through the world engine. I could feel myself losing consciousness as I tried to make it back to Metropolis, where Zod's ship was. I only made it to some rocks outside of the blast radius of the exploding world engine. Precious minutes went by as I laid there gasping for breath. I was able to catch another break as the sun hadn't set yet and some of its rays were now hitting me directly. The sun restored my strength quickly and I started to fly as fast as I could to ensure the plan would work.

As I approached Metropolis I saw Zod's ship floating in Metropolis airspace with the military's C17, which was carrying my spacecraft, approaching it slowly. I saw another ship come into view directly behind it as it destroyed the planes protecting the C17. It was the ship I found in the arctic. Zod must have found it and took control somehow. I sped toward the ship as its weapons warmed up to fire on the C17 and punched through the front hull. Zod was inside flying it. My eyes began to turn red as he shouted for me not to destroy the ship. It might have been Krypton's last chance, but I couldn't take the risk of it being used to destroy the Earth and its people. I burned through the command console and the captain's chair causing Zod to fall and the ship to dive toward the ground. The impact was booming, but I heard a second explosion happening outside the ship. It was the phantom zone opening.

The singularity was pulling everything in and I realized the C17 had crashed directly into Zod's ship. Something must have gone wrong, which became more apparent by Lois' screaming just outside of the singularity. I flew towards her instantly and caught her while trying to pull away from the singularity myself. Eventually the opening to the phantom zone closed and I was able to fly down to the ground to place Lois down. This time Lois was actually rattled. Not surprising since she almost got sucked into an interdimensional prison with a lot of angry criminals inside. She held me tightly as we stood amid the destroyed buildings and her breathing finally slowed down. "We have to stop meeting like this Lois" I said, and we shared a laugh that ended sharply with the sound of crashing debris. I looked to where the ship had crashed. Zod had gotten back up. I left Lois' side to confront him again.

Zod was in pain, not physically but mentally and emotionally. I robbed him of his purpose in life. In all honestly, I felt bad for him. He was a direct victim of the dogmatic and narrow practices of Krypton. He was part of the reason why Krypton was destroyed. But he wouldn't change, he was stuck in Krypton's past. He was trying to return to the practices and ways of a people who literally destroyed themselves. I wanted to help him see, but he drew first blood. He started this and made me choose instead of electing to co-exist. I wouldn't let him or anyone else take this home from me, MY home. I steeled myself for what I might have to do. Tried to mentally prepare to go far enough to protect my home and the people I love. I had to be ready to do what was necessary.


	4. On My Planet It Means Hope(concluded)

Zod vaulted toward me and the collision hit me across the clearing we were in. He promised to make humanity suffer for my decision and to kill every last human on the planet. I had to stop him. We raced towards each other again, but I got the better of him and sent him flying this time. As I caught back up with him we traded blows and fell into a street nearby. The force of our trades started to shake the buildings around us and break the windows. I couldn't hold back, there was too much at stake. His skill started to shine through and he was getting the best of me. I could hear the panicked heartbeats around me. But Zod didn't care if they died in our fight. I had to get him away from the city, take the fight to the skies where I would have the advantage

I put some distance between us both and charged toward him again. I started to take us to the skies, but he elbowed me hard enough that we burst through an unfinished building. We got separated passing through it and when I tried to find him he came out of nowhere with a steel beam ready to him me. I melted it with my heat vision, but he followed up by punching me. I was a little dazed as I got up and then I stared at him in awe as he started ripping his armor off. He started hovering. He was gaining control of his powers as the fight went along. I needed to end it quickly.

I charged toward him and hit him as hard as I could, then followed up with more punches before he regained his balance and started to fly away from me. I lost him in between the buildings before I was suddenly hit with his heat vision. I collided into a building and responded back with my barrage of heat vision. We flew threw the air trying to hit each other and cutting through the buildings around us. I heard screams as a building started to fall from being cut in half by our heat vision. I went to hold it up, but Zod caught me with an uppercut and grabbed my cape to spin me. He let go and through me into the lower atmosphere before hitting me and pushing the fight into space.

I threw him away from me and toward a satellite when he grabbed onto it and threw it at me. Again, I tried to catch it but Zod burst through it. We were falling toward Metropolis and trading blows again before I got the upper-hand. As we landed into a train station I stayed on top of him hitting him with haymakers and grappling him. Eventually I got him on the ground and put him in a choke hold to render him unconscious and end the fight. But, he wouldn't give in. He fired his heat vision at a family that was trapped in a corner and I caught his head trying to point his eyes away from them. This would be his final act. Either I kill him or let that family be incinerated. No matter which choice I made the consequences would be life changing.

The snap of Zod's neck reverberated throughout the station. It seemed to go on for hours. I barely registered the family scurrying out of the station and the arrival of Lois into the station. I stared at Zod's lifeless body and tried to hide my sorrow. But, I couldn't. I didn't have enough strength left to silence the cry that left my mouth even as it shook the station and undoubtedly frightened anyone with shouting distance. I felt Lois' arms wrap around me as I sobbed, the realization of what happened in the last 2 days finally hitting me. I couldn't do that again. No matter what I promised myself that I would never take a life again. If I wanted to inspire humanity and be their guiding light, I couldn't allow darkness to overtake my efforts. I can give humanity hope on the darkest of days.


	5. Superman Was Never Real

Chapter 2: Superman Was Never Real

Superman. That's what the media dubbed me as. I usually teased Lois about it since she started it. The great Lois Lane, heralded for her superior writing and imagery skills, created the most generic name for a superhero ever. In all honesty it kind of grew on me as time went by. It encapsulated what I really was at my core. A regular man at heart, but with superpowers. I wouldn't appreciate the irony of the name until I started getting the negative feedback. Not from the media or the government, but from the people. Some groups were formed that contended that I was an illegal immigrant and should be forced to leave the planet. Others thought I should be jailed and tried for treason due to the arrival of Zod and the destruction of Metropolis.

Many media outlets and governments started to share and spread those messages, but there was always one person who tried to advocate for me. Lois Lane. She even got blowback sometimes and some death threats for being a "alien lover" and "traitor". I told her that she didn't have to keep writing positive stories about me, but she refused and even laughed at me when I suggested it. She had stared down killer Kryptonians and almost been sucked into an abyss. Regular people with itchy twitter fingers and too much time on their hands were never much of a hurdle for her to jump. She continued to inspire me to keep helping people when I could no matter how ungrateful people might seem. We both knew that many people sided with Superman and would always welcome my help.

I was able to join Lois at the Daily Planet as a starting journalist named Clark Kent. It was nice to have a job even if it mostly consisted of writing puff pieces that Lois couldn't be bothered with. I'd loved being on the school newspaper in high school, so it was basically a dream come true for me. Plus, I could have an excused to get closer to dangerous situations without people questioning why I was there. I got a place on the cheap side where some of the destruction had just grazed the area, but the building got identified for having structural weaknesses and I had to move. Luckily, I had a friend in town who had more than enough space. I insisted that I was being overbearing on Lois, but she just listed the number of times I saved her life as reason enough for her to help me. I still helped her pay the rent as that was non-negotiable. Pa and Ma always taught me to never accept a free ride unless I could chip in something.

Working together and being roommates had drawn Lois and I closer. We decided to go on a few dates and everything was going well, till she went on a secret assignment in Africa. I asked her to at least tell me where she was going or get Perry to let me go with her. She refused, insisting that having her "guardian angel" there would stop her from getting the story. I only wanted to keep her safe, but for Lois being safe and getting the best story did not exist in the same sphere. Luckily for me and her I caught wind of where she would be and started to patrol that area while she was there. Sure, enough the second day I was flying overheard I heard small arms fire and some explosions go off. As I flew in I noticed a drone getting closer about to launch a missile at the compound, with Lois still inside. Her meeting had gone awry and for some reason she was about to be blown up.

Destroying the drone and dispatching the warlord holding Lois hostage was beyond easy. I didn't put enough thought into what I had really done. Over the next few days a story came out that the men at the compound had been incinerated and the villagers had been punished by the remaining soldiers for the deaths and captures of their brothers in arms. All I cared about was Lois being safe and in the process, I started an international incident. Lois and I argued about it the next day and the day after that. At first, I blamed her for putting herself and me in that position. She knew I wasn't just going to let her travel into hostile territory like that without keeping an eye on her. I admonished her for almost getting blown up just to get a scoop. She pointed out that this wasn't the first time I had hovered over her to make sure she was okay. I guess she had seen me snooping when she interviewed Bruce Wayne about his Metropolis Clean-up efforts. Eventually we both calmed down and apologized to each other. I could tell she felt bad about it and I knew her intent wasn't to put either of us in that situation.

The government and media, however, were not as apologetic. This new incident had opened the floodgates for all new Superman allegations and rules to be brought up. Should I become a military asset with a committee that oversaw my comings and goings? Maybe I should only be allowed to operate in countries that signed a special treaty? Those were only 2 of the idiotic things that were being proposed.

Sometimes I regret the decisions I've made. Pa once told me that, no matter what I decided to do, I would have the power to change the world. I'm starting to think he was wrong. It seems like no matter what I do or who I save everyone isn't really getting the message I was trying to promote. It seems completely unreasonable for me to stop using my gifts to help others. If I have the power to help shouldn't I help?

I wouldn't have had the strength to endure if it weren't for Lois's encouragement. Ironically, she was the one giving me hope. Hope that humanity could overcome its baser fears and paranoia. That the world would give me a chance to prove myself just like she did. She never asked me for anything. I couldn't ask for a better friend. It's been years since I've had someone I could rely on like Ma or Pa. Trusting her was a necessity at first. She was my leap of faith and she didn't disappoint. Maybe being an amazing journalist made her numb to surprises like meeting an alien. The shock of me being able to fly wore off almost immediately as the Pulitzer Prize winner pelted me with questions about my origins. But she took it all in stride and stood up for me when it counted. I wish humanity could take a page from her book.

It felt like this world didn't want me. Like they didn't appreciate the sacrifices I made and make to try to help them. I destroyed the last living Kryptonians, they are either dead or stuck in a dimension that's like hell. I gave up my anonymity to give them hope and to try to lead them on a greater path. A kinder one. A path where people always get the choice to be as great as they can be. Then they respond by trying to tell me who I can and can't save.

On top of all of it Perry had been riding me to do a story about a blowout of a football game in Gotham. That's when I caught wind of this Batman. He had been doing all the things I was being accused of in Gotham. Trampling on civil liberties, using of excessive force on criminals, and operating outside the confines of the law for both a civilian and a police officer. Plus, he was a vigilante! I knew Gotham was a little like the wild west, but I hadn't expected this Batman to be so brazen. The most recent report said that he was marking the criminals he encountered to make sure they would never forget. A good number of those branded men had been beaten or killed in jail. The Batman was playing judge, jury, and executioner. I thought that was the better story, but Perry refused to run it. He said that nobody would care about Clark Kent trying to take on the Batman.

The gala had been a nice distraction from all the hysteria. I wasn't sure who got me an invite, but it was a needed distraction. The event was nice and Lex Luthor was giving a speech when I heard hushed talking not very far away from me. To my surprise Bruce Wayne seemed to be talking to someone in his ear. I noticed someone else behind me that looked a little out of place at this charity function. She was tall, built, and the most attractive woman in the room. I got lost in her eyes for a bit and in the process lost Bruce Wayne as Lex finished his speech. She seemed to disappear as well, and I wondered if I had imagined her being there.


	6. Superman Was Never Real(cont'd)

I ran into Mr. Wayne on his way to get more champagne and got to ask him a few off the record questions about the Batman. His heartbeat didn't really fluctuate at all as I asked him about the vigilante's recent resurfacing and antics. It wasn't until I mentioned Superman that his pulse elevated. Apparently, he was not a fan of "freaks dressed like clowns". The voice in his ear told him that something was ready when Lex started to make his way toward us. It was just a hunch, but I thought Bruce was at least involved with the Batman if he wasn't the masked vigilante himself. Luthor came over to talk to Bruce when I noticed the woman again going down to the lower level. I made to follow her and got distracted by a TV showing a building on fire in Mexico with a girl stranded on one of the higher levels. That sight alone strengthened my conviction and attitude toward my goals. If someone needed my help it didn't matter what country they were in or who they were, I was going to help them.

The girl in Mexico led into the cruise ship near Greenland which came before the failed spaceship launch in Florida. I had taken to responding to different crises around the world and saving whoever I could regardless of the backlash. Jor-El told me that I would be a beacon of light and eventually humanity would see my light and join me. It seemed like all they wanted to do was control me. I told them they couldn't but still they tried. Maybe he was wrong. Perhaps my actions weren't loud enough. Pa was always a man of action. "Talk is cheap son. When you want something done you get out in front and show them how to do it." I remembered those words as I walked to the Congress hearing room. If I could only explain what I'm trying to do maybe they'll understand and help me rather than try to hinder me.

What happened next was a blur. So much death and for what? The explosion claimed all the lives in the room, except mine. I hadn't even heard the bomb and I had no time to react before it went off. The legacy I wanted to leave was one of kindness. To inspire those who have the power to help to do so with no regrets. I feared that my only real legacy would be the voices and cries of those I didn't save. I heard them calling out to me even while I tried to sleep. The screams and the pleas of the downtrodden and the misfortunes of unlucky souls in the wrong place at the wrong time. I felt alone in this world, truly alone. Ma and Lois could see it the way I do but it started to seem like no one else could. It doesn't take x-ray vision to see someone in pain and want to try to help. I became detached. Pushed away from everyone, even Ma. What can I be in this world if it won't have me? My mere presence caused more conflict than I could stop.

Luthor's message reached me as he was signaling at a frequency only I, and maybe some dogs, could here. I realized that everything that happened was all a part of Luthor's plan, attacking me mentally and emotionally before ever coming at me physically. Now he was placing the people I love in harm's way to get me to show my "true colors". Zod was much more straightforward. Wagering his military training against my raw power. He lost, miserably. I replay the fight constantly in my head. Could I have saved him? Or will I always have to sacrifice my ideals and my conscience to protect this world? Luthor had placed me in the perfect position to do exactly what he wanted. With Ma and Lois' life on the line I had no choice but to take his challenge and race towards Gotham. I wouldn't kill the Batman though. I wouldn't stoop to his or Luthor's level. I tried to appeal to the good in Bruce. Plead with him to hear me and help me stop Luthor. He was so angry I doubt he heard a word I said. And then the green gas. Another sharp pain for me to endure. This one unfortunately was taking away my strength and making it hard for me to do anything but groan in pain.

The fight was hilariously short and went the exact opposite way I needed it to. He took me apart like a middle school geometry project. Whatever gas he hit me with must have come from the giant green spearhead he was about to impale me with. If it wasn't for the warrior he would have killed me. The word beautiful would have been an understatement if I tried describing her. And that warriors gaze was more intense than my heat vision. Why or how she came to know what was happening I might never know. As she helped me up she told me her name was Diana and she was going to help me. I'd never been very good at asking for help, but I was sure glad she was offering. Her and Bruce argued about what he'd tried to do. I guess she knew him somehow. But she saved me from him. I could tell Diana was the woman from the gala. She must be strong to have thrown Bruce off me how she did. I would have laughed if I wasn't so nauseous from the spear.

I heard her mention the downed Kryptonian ship giving off power and knew that Luthor must be there. I told them that Ma and Lois were being held somewhere and I had to find them before it was too late. Diana insisted that I should go and deal with the ship while she saved Ma and Lois. Bruce walked forward and surprised me by guaranteeing that they would save them. "I can make you this promise tonight, we **will** save them". I could almost feel the truth in everything Diana said, but oddly enough Bruce's conviction convinced me. For some reason I felt like I could trust them. I had to trust them since I couldn't be at both places at the same time. I didn't have time to argue so I relented and let them go to save Ma and Lois while I dealt with Luthor. It was time to take another leap of faith. The effects of the gas Bruce used was making me slower, but I flew toward the ship as fast as I could.

The flight from Gotham to Metropolis helped me shake off some of the effects from the gas and I arrived at the ship to find Luthor in the destroyed birthing matrix. As usual he was very impressed with himself and disappointed in me for not having a dead bat with me. He received a call from that very bat that let him know he was beaten. I guess I could trust Diana and Bruce after all. I was relieved my leap of faith went well and now I could take Luthor down. I studied his face as it contorted in rage, but then changed to an evil smirk. A power surge to the chamber charged something in the matrix that was growing. Then something started moving. Luthor heralded it as my doomsday, the devil come from hell to slay a god. The irony is that the first thing it tried to kill was Luthor. I saved him just in time and hit the monster, but it recovered quickly and threw me outside the ship.

It was big, ugly, and probably stronger than me since I was still regaining my strength. This was Luthor's back-up plan in case me and Bruce made up. Or maybe this was the endgame and the fight with Bruce was just a distraction. The thing was strong and hit me much harder than even Zod had a year ago. Sending him off into space would have been smart but not the best choice. So, I charged and punched him to knock him off balance and tried to carry him off into space. Then I saw the nuke coming in after us. Always with the nukes. I guess the government didn't trust me to handle it. I probably should have just dodged it and continued the fight myself. But I held the monster still and prepared to die for the second time in 30 minutes. I'm pretty sure Jor-El didn't want me to test my limits this way but I did it for science anyways. But I was reminded that there is no rest for the weary.


	7. Superman Was Never Real(concluded)

All the nuke did was weaken me further. I floated in space until the sun's rays burned away the radiation and renewed me enough to live. Bruce and Diana had started fighting the monster, but it seemed to have gotten stronger. I entered the fight and teamed with Diana to overwhelm it, but in truth we were only containing it. Diana wouldn't relent and had done a lot of damage to it with her sword, but it wouldn't have been enough. Now for my final bright idea. It was a simple concept really. Use that green spear that almost killed me to kill the wretched beast. Simple enough till you add how weak I was just holding it. "Meet your doomsday" Luthor had said back on the ship, obviously impressed with himself. Time to see if he was right. Bruce was nowhere to be found but he's the smart one. Hiding in the shadows waiting for his moment to strike. He'll have a pretty good shot at me after this. But Diana was holding the monster still with her glowing rope and I won't get a better chance at this.

As I flew toward it time slowed and my thoughts raced. I really wanted to make it through this. I have so much to apologize for, so much to explain. I'd have loved to see Ma and Lois again to let them know how much I loved and appreciated them. To let them know how their guidance made all the difference. If only the world knew that the "world's most powerful man" still needed to call his mom to make sure he was doing things the right way.

As I picked up speed toward the monster I noticed the green gas hitting it. Bruce sent his shot from the shadows and softened the monster's defenses for my killing blow. I make contact with the monster and it cries out and grabs me. I hear Diana call out to me and the roaring of the beast. Then the pain, the searing pain of my chest being split open. The beast still lives so I refused to die, not without taking it with me. The last of my strength was used to plunge the spear deeper, to kill the essence of this thing and destroy it. And in my last moments I see the life drain from it.

Time slowed as the life drained from me as well. I had nothing left to give, my life would be my final gift. I wondered if my parents would have been proud. I wondered what my legacy will be. Will I be remembered as someone who did everything he could to help? Or simply the nuisance that Luthor made me out to be? There's so much I haven't done. Didn't even get the chance to live my new life in the sun. But if that's the price I must pay to keep this world safe, then so be it.

The last thing I told Lois was that Superman was never real. I was wrong. Lois was right when she said that my real power isn't the ability to fly or having super strength. The true power I have is giving people a choice. To catch them when they fell, dust them off, and encourage them to try again. Saving them from the pitfalls of life and giving them the opportunity to live the life they want. I have faith in humanity to continue striving toward the light. I only wish I could have lived to see it.

End


End file.
